Common Enemy
by a mountain of gideon's scones
Summary: Set during Feast of Fools to Carpe Corpus. Bishop is engaging in battle and Amelie cannot destroy him. What if, like before, she calls on the other type of vampire, specifically Eric Northman and his gang? Sucky summary. R
1. Decisions

**Written for Vitzy, who asked for this fic… and I got the inspiration for it from mid-air hehe… well, when I was **_**supposed**_** to be revising for GCSEs… but that just isn't working out.**

**I own neither SVM or MV, although I would **_**definitely**_** want to own MV… if only MY sister Rachael was Rachel Caine…**

**Anyway, on with the fic…**

…**btw, this is a POV'd story because I write better with the POVs rather than third person… but I change the POV throughout so…**

_Summary:_

_Old friends, Eric and Amelie last fought together to bring down her father five hundred years ago, a common enemy between them. They are the strongest of their individual types of vampires and whilst the Great Revelation may have happened for __**Eric's**__ people, Amelie is still very much keeping the vampires in Morganville a secret…_

_But what happens when Bishop returns? _

_Who will fight, and who against who? And can Sookie be of assistance to the vampires who are more like humans than they would care to admit?_

_Who will live? And just who will die?_

_**Set around the time of Feast of Fools/ Lord of Misrule and ends at the end of Carpe Corpus…**_

_Amelie's POV:_

"We must fight," I declare to the people in the Glass House, ensuring I appear as strong as possible, even though I am still recovering from the staking I received. "We _must_ keep the Founder's houses, the hospital, the phone towers and the Bloodmobile. Oliver, come with me," I order him, sighing internally at what I must do now, what concession I must make…

I have to engage in open warfare with my father – this is not something I particularly enjoyed last time. I was winning five hundred years ago, when I was able to sneakily attack his guards, destroying him one by one… but then he declared open war and I didn't have that much experience. So then, I had to call in the back up that I didn't want to, for fear that I would have to repay the favour to them in the future.

So I called in Eric Northman, an old friend of mine from when we were both new vampires, although from different 'breeds'. As humans have different races, it turns out that within vampires, there are the more stereotypical vampires (Eric) and then ones who have more leeway and are, technically, (although I _really_ don't see it) more human like. I think just because we don't _have_ to sleep during the day and just because I set up this town to ensure we can survive humanely whilst we find a cure for this disease, it doesn't mean that we are any less of a vampire. Oliver would most certainly agree to that, and I think the case of my father puts up a pretty strong argument also.

Then there is the disease: I have only seen Eric twice since I found out we suffered from this disease, and others of his kind merely once or twice as they passed through Morganville – I didn't let them stay, simply because it would interfere with my set up here. I can put up with Eric, although he is a selfish and egocentric creature, but his Queen, Sophie-Anne, (I mean _seriously_, who came up with the entire 'conquer different areas of America and put Kings and Queens in head positions?) is another kettle of fish. She came here, even though she isn't the 'ruler' of Texas, and ordered me to pay taxes to _her_! She barely left with her life, I can assure you that, and three of her guards didn't leave at all.

They are so much easier to kill than us, and are much easier targets since they _have_ to sleep during the day – I plan tactical movements whilst I cannot go out in the sun – although I can fight if I have to – but they sleep. I could kill them all as they slumber, but there would be no point in that: I would simply have armies of their kind coming here and disrupting the peace.

Yet here I am, fighting my father once more. I never thought this would have to happen – I thought he had died the first time around. But evidently I was wrong… rather, it was _Eric _who assured me he was dead, but I needn't go there – if I need his help, I shall have to ring him up now and ask him to come over.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asks me, evidently knowing exactly what I must do. I nod my head, closing my eyes as I consider this – I need backup, as I do not know how many are on my side in this town, so why not take on Eric and his team of vampires? I am sure I can get rid of them quickly and easily once we have won – for good, this time.

"I have to, Oliver, you know that," I sigh, reopening my eyes to look at his concerned expression. I know that he is entirely on my side here, although he is going to be pretending to be a spy for my father: he has hated Bishop ever since he destroyed his family and killed the one woman he loved. I know he would never turn turncoat on me. "I am not strong enough, and we do not have enough vampires, to kill him here without them. I feel Eric is the only solution I have to getting us through this alive," I continue, walking towards the wall and the portal which I pluck from midair.

"And what about your lover?" he presses as he follows me through the portal to my office, shutting the door behind him. "I know you and Eric had a 'fling' in the past, Amelie, so how is Sam going to feel when he sees you with someone else?"

How _dare_ he use my love for Sam against me! I have kept Sam away from me for half a century to keep him safe, to ensure that he doesn't die or something around me, as bad luck circulates me.

"I may have had something with Eric _five hundred years ago_, but that is no longer relevant," I snap at Oliver, who recoils at the venom in my voice. I pull the jacket Claire loaned me tighter around my body before commencing my search for the telephone book amidst the mess of paperwork which has built up over the past week; with my father in town, work has not been my top priority. Which is something I feel will continue throughout the coming weeks: fighting my father is not a one night event – sometimes it appears you must _appear_ to concede before striking back with a victory…

"Here it is," Oliver says, handing it out to me. I try to take it but he keeps ahold of it before looking me in the eye. "Think carefully about whether or not you wish to do this… if not for you, then for Sam. He deserves better than this, Amelie… if you truly love him, you would be with him…" he continues, but I let the anger I am feeling loose and turn my eyes blazing silver.

"Do not _dare_ to insinuate you know me well enough to be able to make decisions for me, or try to tell me what to do!" I snap, ripping the book from his hands. "Myrnin learnt that a long time ago, and I feel it would be a good idea for you to take a leaf of out his book! I love Sam and I feel nothing for Eric, so if you will excuse me, I have to try and save my town from my father… unless you _want_ him to destroy Morganville as he did your hometown!" I continue, hitting him below the belt (metaphorically speaking) in terms of reminding him what my father is capable of.

His face smoothes out but barely conceals his pain as he nods curtly before walking out of the door. I sigh but search through the phone book for Eric Northman, dialling the number carefully…

"Hello?" a questioning voice answers the phone, and I recognise the silky smooth honey of his voice as if we had been speaking yesterday, rather than fifty, sixty, years ago.

"Eric?" I question, just to clarify that it _is_ him. he chuckles and evidently recognises my voice.

"As if that is my little friend, Amelie," he makes his joke about my size, evidently forgetting just _how_ violent I can be – much more so than him, and he would care to remember that. "It's been fifty years, or more most likely!" he continues, and I grit my teeth slightly, not liking what I have to do.

"Eric, we need your help," I sigh and wonder in my heart _why_ I am doing this…

**So… tell me your thoughts!**

**I just got hit with this inspiration; I was struggling to write the Claire/Michael fic I promised someone and then I wrote this!**

**Reviews would be *MUCH* appreciated xD**

**Vicky xx**


	2. You Didn't Thank Me, Amelie

**Chapter 2:**

**Thanks for the few reviews I got!**

**Hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

**I don't own anything – but if Rachel Caine ever wants to give me MV, I would not protest…**

… **I ought to stop writing and revise, but I have no inclination to – yet!**

***Myrnin walks in* - hey, you keep saying that but you NEED to write me!**

***I roll my eyes* - yes, Myrnin, but if I don't revise, I possibly fail my exams, meaning I can NEVER write you again! You will lose your lover!**

***Myrnin is shocked* - GET REVISING ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED THIS CHAPTER!**

***I nod* - maybe…**

* * *

_Eric's POV:_

"Eric, I..." Sookie begins, and I get the feeling that she is going to say, 'I love you'.

But then the damned phone rings.

I want to leave it, I really do, but what if it is something important? Sophie-Anne hasn't been pleased with me of late, for some unfathomable reason I _think_ is something to do with the entire computer programme business, so I need to answer it. This means that I roll away from Sookie and look at the caller id, just to have a pleasant shock. I recognise this area code – it isn't Sophie-Anne.

It's Amelie.

I still remember the last time she called: she babbled on about her disease and that she loves someone; I don't particularly enjoy remembering the details of our last conversation, so I grimace.

"Hello?" I question simply incase it is one of her idiotic friends or someone who has managed to get my number – it could just be a wrong number… she could have changed her number since I spoke to her.

"Eric?" she confirms my identity as well and I know instantly that this is Amelie – her voice has not changed one iota since I last spoke with her: she is as cool and collected as ever. Ahhh, we could have been great friends if we didn't have the difference in our vampire breeds… the only vampire _definitely_ as strong as, probably stronger, than the _true_ vampires was her Father… although I daresay that she is stronger than him, now.

"As if that is my little friend, Amelie," I comment on her size as I always used to tease her about – yes, I am right: she is assuredly as strong as us now, now that I remember her when I accused her of being so small. "It's been fifty years, or more most likely!" I continue in a jovial tone, noting how Sookie's face turns slightly jealous, showing how she doesn't like it that I know some other woman who I am friendly with.

Amelie and I are friends, not acquaintances as two types of _my_ type of vampire are usually, because she is closer to being a human than I am: she can stay awake during the day and consume human food. There are other differences, such as them being less reliant on bloodlust once they age and how they seem more human naturally, but none that are so obvious. They are also weaker, in general terms, but since she is the eldest of her kind since she destroyed Bishop and is close to 1500 years of age, she is as strong as our Pythagoras now…

I hear her teeth gritting and know that she wants something; she always hated asking me for favours, though I never repented on the favour in the opposite direction. "Eric, we need your help," she sighs, proving my point entirely about asking for my help.

I chuckle and roll around slightly so that I can stand up in one movement, heading across the room to look out into the night sky. I wish, in a way, that I was _her_ type of vampire because I _do_ miss seeing the sun, even inside and far away from it.

"Well, well, the last time Amelie asked me for a favour was because her father was around," I can recall every detail of that bloody fight: he was strong. We lost many people but it came down to Amelie and Bishop, ending with Amelie's winning… I wonder what could be so dire that it results in her asking me for assistance. "Is it anything to do with this disease to which you are culpable? As if it is, I do not see how I can be of assistance, as I believed that Myrnin was working on a cure? After all, if the best alchemist to have ever existed cannot find a solution, I doubt someone who hates the sciences will be able to help," oh, how I remember Myrnin! He was so comical, so strange and eccentric… it was a strange thing, to be in close contact with him.

Oh lord, is _Oliver_ going to be there? We never saw eye to eye when we worked together before, but last time Amelie and I spoke Oliver wasn't in Morganville, he had refused to join the settlement. She said he was dead… so he won't be there then, will he?

She doesn't respond for a long time, so long that if it wasn't for the fact that there is no dial tone I would have thought she had hung up.

"I cannot explain on the phone," she finally says – the biggest cop out there is. "There is a chance that the phone lines are being monitored, and not by my people as per usual. Eric, you know I wouldn't ask unless it is life or death. And at the current moment in time, this may be _my_ town but my enemy has probably the upper hand. Eric… please," she continues, and the 'please' shows how desperate she is. Very rarely does she ask so politely, usually simply directing, and for her to have done so is a huge concession.

I hesitate, not knowing whether or not to accept since it is _quite_ obvious that it is a dire situation she is in.

"Who is it? What is it?" Sookie mouths to me but I shake my head and frown, rashly making my decision.

"You will tell me as _soon_ as I arrive?" I confirm with her, sighing internally as I decide to go and spend time with an ex-lover (in a sense) but mainly a friend.

"As soon as you arrive," she swears, but I don't always entirely believe her. She is an accomplished liar, managing to appear entirely sincere, but the last I heard, she had taken on a no-lie policy when she formed her idiotic town… yet we seem to have taken on the same policy as her, informing humans about our existence – simply we have done things on a much bigger scale. We had to overpower our little half measure vampires, and do things one stage bigger – though she is, I agree, much cleverer than any of us…

"Very well, I shall bring myself, Pam, Bill and my… friend, Sookie," I decide that Sookie can come, so that she can read the minds of the humans involved… maybe she will even be able to read the minds of Amelie's vampires, since they are so much closer to humans.

"I heard about the airline that transports your coffins," she says slowly. "I have arranged a flight from Shreveport to Morganville for one hour's time. Once you are in Morganville, we have light proof cars for travelling in, if you must travel during the day though you will be asleep, and I have an entirely light proofed home in which you can reside. I presume Sookie is human? I take your silence for a yes. Well, she can stay, if you prefer, with some _very_ important humans in this town. I shall see you shortly," she says, and is about to hang up before I cut in.

"Amelie, you have neglected to do _two_ things," I say with a sly edge to my voice.

"Very well, enlighten me, Eric, as you always wish to," she sighs, and I get the impression that whatever she is doing needs to be addressed quickly – perhaps some troop rallying?

"Firstly, you did not give me the flight information," I say quickly. "Secondly, you neglected to thank me for helping," I continue, knowing that she must be squirming at this: she always hated thanking people.

"The flight will be the only one in the airport, since it is closed at night as you well know," she replies coolly, entirely back to the business like person she has been for a couple of centuries; before that, she was relaxed and free and just a normal person. "As for thanking you… well, you neither know what is going on nor have you agreed to do it. Consider the free transport and holiday to my town payment enough," she continues, hanging the phone up. Entirely Amelie there…

"Eric, who_ was_ that?" Sookie indignantly asks, getting right up in my face to question me.

"That, Sookie, was someone called Amelie: she… well, I'll explain on the flight – you are coming with me, aren't you?" I realise I haven't actually asked her, simply assumed she is coming.

She nods and smiles at me, heading towards the door. "We'll need to stop at my house first, for my passport," she informs me with another smile, leaning on the door now. "As long as you tell me _everything_ on the flight over, I'll come," she should have probably said that first, but it's fine – it's Sookie. She does everything backwards, really.

"I swear I will tell you everything," I look her right in the eyes to assure her of my truthfulness. I couldn't lie to Sookie, I just couldn't!

"Then let's go," she grins, opening the door and walking down the path.

I follow her down the path and she gets into the driver's seat, allowing me to (legally) phone Pam and Bill in order to inform them that they are coming on a little holiday with me to Morganville…

It had _better_ be life or death… otherwise I am leaving my bar in the hands of a rookie for nothing!

* * *

**What did you think?**

**The next chapter will begin in Eric's POV, and then will revert back to Amelie's, I think.**

**Please review!**

**Vicky xx**


	3. Meetings

**STUDY LEAVE HAS BEGUN! Seriously, I am **_**so**_** happy, happy enough to abandon revision (actually, that's a lie: I haven't begun yet really!) and write this chapter before going off to Nandos in about 6 hours! (it was this length of time when I wrote the chapter, I just decided to go hang out on the field to CELEBRATE STUDY LEAVE!)**

**I don't own **_**either**_** series… unfortunately!**

_Eric's POV:_

"So there are _two_ types of vampire?" Sookie confirms, evidently agog at this information of there being more than just the vampires the world knows about. "Heebus… and which is the more powerful of the two?" she suddenly questions, as both Pam and Bill turn to look at me as well. Pam only knows about the other vampires because she has met Amelie, albeit briefly, whereas Bill is as in the dark as Sookie is. This is _always_ a good thing, to have the bloody idiot on the chase for information as it simply proves how much of a better lover I am for Sookie.

"We are, of course," I say smoothly, then remembering the exceptions. "However there are, sorry, _were_, two vampires who were most _definitely_ more powerful than us even though they were from the weaker race."

"Who?" Sookie asks from her seat next to me on the plane. It has been approximated that we shall arrive three hours before dawn, so there will be plenty of time for Amelie to inform us what the hell is going on.

"Amelie, naturally," I shrug, remembering how much potential she had when she was so young and know that age _must_ have brought her further strength. Yet why she decides to hide behind bodyguards when she could _quite_ easily take on any of the people who oppose her is beyond me. "And there was her Father, Bishop… but that is why we fought together last time, to defeat him. She required assistance and I decided that it was in my best interest to assist in destroying him for he was a threat to us all… so why she requires my help when she is as strong as me now is a query I want answering," I frown into the corner of the plane as I consider different possibilities. She may want help destroying Morganville but if she hasn't found a cure then she won't want that. She may want help destroying a vampire but who could be so much trouble?

"You said something about a disease on the phone – do all vampires have a disease or something?" once again, my lover hits the nail on the head with a question I really didn't want to answer. It isn't my business to be spreading here, but now I must.

"The other type of vampires appear to have a mental disease, yes," I confirm, making all three of them gasp. Evidently their brains are linking this to us and how we (baring Sookie) could fall foul of it. "However, the reason is, we believe because they are so similar to humans: I have explained the differences and it seems as if they are almost getting Alzheimers, but for vampires. Many of them have not shown symptoms yet, and Amelie has not informed anyone but those who are, so for heaven's sake don't mention it!" I exclaim at the end, laughing slightly but they don't join in.

"Wish _I_ was that type of vampire: I miss roast beef," Bill mutters almost under his breath so that it is more personal. Pam, of course, lets a peal of laughter out at this and seems as if she can't do anything but laugh.

"I would say join them, but I doubt Amelie would want you – she is the only one now able to make vampires," I say with a sardonic smile.

Sookie rolls her eyes before shutting her perfect lids, drifting off into a sleep for the remaining two hours of the flight… this should be fun!

_Amelie's POV – when she hangs the phone up:_

"Well?" Oliver asks me with a slightly heavy tone to his voice as I hang up the phone barely able to believe that he could be so _demanding_. Then again, it _is_ Eric and what should I have expected – a man with puppy dog eyes and enjoys the flavour of bubblegum in his blood?

"They are coming," I shrug my shoulders, throwing the phone down on the desk as I decide what to do. Myrnin… we must rescue him and soon, but I want to know whether or not we have the support of Eric before I do so. After all, if we fail in bringing Myrnin back, I am not entirely sure what the purpose is of fighting: he is the only one, perhaps barring Claire, who knows what the cure for the disease is and without that knowledge we cannot hope to live much longer.

Oliver's eyes bore into my own and I barely suppress a shudder as his reach sees right into my soul. I cannot close the shutters over on my eyes and part of me doesn't want to, so that the qualms he seems to have that I have feelings for Eric – not likely – are entirely quashed.

"Let's return – it is not a good idea to be separated from the others for too long, when my father is on the loose," I sigh, turning away after an immeasurable time and his face relaxes slightly.

"No, I don't suppose the off chance of a raging lunatic coming to someplace _where you may be_ is a far fetched idea _whatsoever_," he says sarcastically, but it sort of doesn't work because he is simply discussing our location, not being separated from the others.

"I really do not have the patience to listen to this drivel, Oliver, are you coming with me or remaining?" I snap at him, turning away and back towards the portal within the space of less than a tenth of a second.

"Yes, milady," he responds smoothly, following me through the portal and back to the Glass House. We emerge in the secret room upstairs and I press the catch to allow us to return to the others downstairs, I simply revelling in the silence the soundproofed room has brought to me. It gives me the chance to think through everything that is going on and really process that my father is back and that we are, once again, at war. This war will, for the most part, be parallel to the original stages in our first one, but with one major difference.

The boot is on the other foot, this time.

Instead of me being the invading force, aiming to conquer all, it is my father who is. He has the upper hand on having people turn to him, for there are _many_ people in this town who are faithful to neither Oliver nor myself. The one benefit I can find of the divided camps of Oliver and my followers currently is that we are on the same side now and that means we have all of each other's followers.

I walk down the stairs slowly, just to find a scene of utter chaos. Evidently whilst I have been trying to save our skins, they have decided that the vampires and the humans shall form different factions and just argue, rather than actually _saving the town_.

"Enough!" I call, an icy chill to my voice that means I have no need to shout but my orders are still followed. "You are behaving like _imbeciles_! Do you think my _father_ is allowing his followers to argue like infants? No, he will be preparing to launch attacks on _the things we need to keep_ if he is not there already!" I stress this point without reservations on stressing too far – that is impossible.

"Ma'am, Paul has called to say that he has collected a Mr Eric Northman and three others," Verity calls from the house phone by the door and I nod thoughtfully. Sam looks intrigued as to what is going on but I deliberately avert my gaze from him; however, I have decided that he is to be present when Eric arrives. I wouldn't want him to, like Oliver, get the wrong end of the stick, so to speak.

"Claire and Sam are to remain here," I announce to the others, a look of relief on the faces of Michael, Shane and Eve that Claire is out of the fighting. Little do they know she could be in even more danger than previously thought. "Oliver will arrange the rest of you in order to cover the Founders Houses and the other important buildings. Is that clear?"

Everyone nods, evidently still stunned from the way that I called them all imbeciles, and I relax slightly, albeit it too early: I shouldn't be relaxed until _after_ my Father has been captured. And destroyed for _definite_ this time.

They begin to mill together as Oliver orders them around, evidently pleased to be allowed some power in the situation, whilst Claire and Sam come to me. I deliberately do not look at Sam's face for fear that I would relax entirely and tell him everything, including how much I love him.

"Amelie, what's going on? Why can't I help fight?" Claire's whining voice assists me for my attempts to stay away from Samuel.

"You are needed here, Claire, because we have visitors coming and I may need your assistance with one of them," I deliberately give no details pertaining to Eric and the others, which leaves the both of them confused and intrigued.

"Amelie, who is Eric?" Sam, predictably, has a jealous tone to his voice and I cringe inwardly at this. How to explain what an obnoxious man this man is but also to show he is a friend and that he could be our saviour, in a sense?

"Eric is…" I begin, until the door opens and the person I am trying to describe walks through as if he owns the place.

"Eric is…?" he asks, opening his arms widely as if it has been three minutes since we last saw one another, let alone a century ago.

"Eric is obnoxious, arrogant and is quite possibly one of the most vile creatures I have ever met," I say, albeit a slightly different avenue to what I would have said if he had not entered the house at that particular moment in time.

His eyebrows rise in the air as he processes the insults but he does not say a word as two other vampires of 'his' kind and a human he _evidently_ has feelings for walk in behind him.

"Wow," the human says in a southern drawl that irritates me: residents of Morganville so rarely have that drawl since they are raised in a more refined situation with vampires, the majority of which are from England or the neighbouring region. Therefore very few of them speak as if they are either falling asleep continually and are bored by every single situation.

"You must be Sookie," I say with an icy smile as I look past Eric without another word to him.

"Y-yes, and you are Amelie?" she confirms, sounding rather tired and confused at the same time.

"That would be my name, yes," I confirm but then Eric butts in, evidently annoyed at how I ignored him.

"You have precisely three seconds to begin your explanation as to why you need our help or we leave tonight," he says bluntly, making my eyebrow rise slightly in amazement that he would speak like this to me, when I am his elder.

Beside me, Sam and Claire seem amazed that I am not ripping his head off for insolence but I couldn't: if I did that, we would most _definitely_ not have the help of his fellows.

"The problem is," I begin slowly, taking a deep breath. "The problem is that my father is back. and he wants a war."

Eric stares at me agog for a moment before turning back to smack his hand into the wall.

"You are an _idiot_!" he yells at me before stalking away. This isn't going particularly well…

**Whatcha think?**

**Off to Nandos now (WHOOP) so please review!**

**Vicky xx**


	4. Jesus, Amelie, What The Hell?

_chapter 4:_

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_Eric's POV:_

You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me. Centuries ago, she _assured_ me that he was dead, that her theft of whatever he bloody well had that she wanted had rendered him dead, that she had rolled him into a grave _dead_. I shouldn't have _needed_ to go and check as to whether or not he was dead – he was supposed to be; she told me he was.

Yet, apparently, he is back and he wants to fight again. Of course; this is _Bishop_ we are talking about – calm and orderly discussions, like even _we_ have had in Rhodes though they didn't end so well, are not his forte – naturally he wants to fight. If he _didn't_, that would be when I would be getting worried.

I storm out of the house, though this may not be the best idea if enemy forces are already gathering. Amelie has already sent her people around the town, I believe for there was almost nobody in the house, so it ought to be safe enough. After all, I am a strong vampire with power and strength – and am not one of these weaker versions of our vampire states.

I snarl at nothing in particular, striding through the streets at an alarming pace. Everything is quiet, which assists my ability to think slightly… but not really. All it results in is me getting even _angrier_ at Amelie. She should have ensured that she had killed him, rather than whatever pitiful checks she did.

She should have burnt his body to be sure.

I find myself turning back in the same direction I came in, some sort of hidden danger present according to my body system. I believe that this must be the hideout for Bishop – though it isn't much of a hideout, it being the damned City Hall. Jesus, Amelie, how could you lose such a thing? Caesar lost the control of Rome and this was his downfall – you are an idiot to have lost City Hall!

Somehow, I end up back at the house she titled the Glass House and open the door with a bang. They jump into action, evidently expecting the enemy, but soon relax as they see my familiar blondeness – well, Sookie and Amelie do: the redhead she appears to have fallen for simply stares at me mutinously whilst the girl seems not entirely sure of herself. Of course she wouldn't be: she doesn't appear older than sixteen! Yet I can tell by the bracelet on her wrist that she is under Amelie's Protection – such an idiotic system, in my opinion – and so is going to be _entirely _entwined in this entire plot.

"Eric, you have returned," Amelie's voice sounds as if she half didn't believe that I would do.

"Evidently – my people and Sookie are located here; I would not leave them under the control of someone who couldn't even _kill_ someone properly!" I explode at her, noting how she doesn't recoil back. I can also tell that she has been staked recently: of course, she can heal from a staking whereas we cannot. How quaint that they, the weaklings of the family so to speak, have the ability to heal from something which _definitely_ kills us.

"There is no need for that," Amelie responds coolly, her voice counteracting the anger in mine. I take a deep, unnecessary, cooling breath and sit down on the sofa alongside Pam and the fool Bill who I had to bring along – if we are in danger, he can be sacrificed first.

"No, you are right – there is not," I agree slowly, wondering why. She has always had some sort of control over me: it isn't only that she is my elder, for we are of almost equal strength now, but something about her demeanour _commands_ respect. She never had to fight to prove herself to me: simply standing in front of me, as she is now, proved she was a worthy leader of her people. She is not a leader of _me_, but of her people she is a leader – the only leader. That fool Oliver would only ruin everything and Myrnin… where is the jester? "Amelie, where is Myrnin?"

She hesitates before answering, "before I tell you where Myrnin is, I have to inform you that the disease has worsened… he is barely himself, as Claire will vouch for, and could very soon be incapacitated entirely. Yet, for now, he remains firmly in the centre of my plans and we need to recover him most urgently," she says, in essence revealing Bishop managed to take him.

"Bishop took him?" I verbally confirm and she nods. I note how the redhead and the human seem amazed that I could deduce this so quickly, but if they had been around last time, they would have seen how Bishop tried to steal everything of any value to Amelie from her. "For God's _sake_, Amelie, how could you_ let _him take someone evidently so important?" I ask her rhetorically, not expecting an answer. But, with this being Amelie, I should have expected one.

"Oh yes, Eric, because I _planned_ for my most important piece to be stolen from me to show just _how_ brilliant a fighter I am," she snaps back, her power circulating the room. I shall not lie; it does frighten me a little – if she was so inclined to, she could destroy me I now realise.

I underestimated her.

But if I underestimated _her_, how much have I underestimated Bishop?

"Not to _mention_ how I decided that the game would be _so_ much more dangerous without Myrnin, so I _planned_ to have him stolen just to add a little extra danger to the mix – because there isn't enough already!" she continues, her voice increasing in volume with every word. It must be the most emotion she has shown since she set up this damned town – apart from, perhaps, to that redhead she called Sam.

But certain wording from both parts of her attack on me catch my interest. "This isn't a chess game Amelie; this is real life and you cannot employ techniques you would on the board," I attack back, knowing that she deems her chess skills to be unmatched. I suppose she has forgotten that her Father was the one to teach her.

She looks a little abashed as she moves to sit down on the sofa opposite me. Her little toys stay in the corner, whispering frantically – well the girl is – but their conversation pays no interest to me. I note, however, Sookie regarding them both with a strange interest: perhaps she can hear the vampire?

"I know this is not a game; Myrnin is my friend and I need him back, no matter _what_ Oliver says," she responds and I internally groan.

"Amelie, you apparently left him for dead as well," I sigh to her, putting my head in my hands. We have fallen back into our old positions of closeness, almost inseparable at some points.

"Your point being...?" she questions my statement with an air of confusion to her tone.

"Are you _actually_ capable of killing an enemy or do you like to allow them to secretly live so that they can come back and destroy your life?" I ask her with a wry sense of irony in my tone. I look up and see she is regarding me with a cool iciness to her face – not at all unusual.

"Need I remind you of Donegal?" she shoots back after a moment, reminding me of the time when I saw her _single-handedly_ taking on over two dozen vampires – some of them her elders – and destroying them all with mere scratches to show. She then proceeded to burn them all save one, which she apparently (according to legend) ate. "Or perhaps London ought to cement it in your mind… or Edinburgh… or Paris… or even Helsinki," she continues to reel off her numerous conquests.

"I am simply specifying ones who had a certain closeness to you," I respond with a certain evilness in regards to the fact that someone she evidently loves (and I'm not talking about me or the girl) is in the room.

She snarls at me, showing her feral side, but she wouldn't attack me: she needs me. I know that; I am simply messing with her, so to speak. "Mention _anything_ regarding you know what and I do not care whether or not I require you to fight with me, I _will_ kill you."

And something about her tone tells me that she is _not_ kidding.

I hold my hands up in surrender and nod deeply to indicate I understand exactly what she means. With Sookie in the room, I wouldn't confess to anything with Amelie anyway!

"I solemnly swear," I promise lightly, not even crossing my fingers. I know how serious she takes her promises… especially to do with love.

She relaxes slightly but I can hear from the murmured conversations in the corner that Sam isn't happy. Of course he wouldn't be – for _Amelie_ to love him, he must be at least a little messed up.

Sounds like explosions come from outside and Amelie moves slowly across to the window to peer out into the night. "Myrnin is being held in my secret room in the library building – I can feel it," she confesses the location of Myrnin, who we need to rescue. "It is starting, Eric, and I don't like it."

I shake my head and smile wryly. "Oh, Amelie, whenever _is_ war something you like?"

And with that, a huge explosion occurs across town. Of course… how befitting.

* * *

_Whatcha think?_

_Review please_

_Vicky xx_


	5. Let's Fight

_Chapter 5:_

_For Vitzy, the only reviewer, it appears _

_I don't own anything_

_I am changing some things slightly from the books but not dramatically so XD_

* * *

_Amelie's POV:_

Eric isn't happy.

Unfortunately, whenever _is_ Eric happy when it isn't something getting done for him? then again, I would have supposed he would be happy with these events for, once again, I shall be owing him a favour, something which I doubtlessly believe he shall cash in on in the future, when he assumes I have forgotten about it. I didn't forget last time, therefore why would I forget now?

The explosion startles me for a moment, as I forget that we are in an active state of war with my Father, but then I regain my composure and do not let it be seen how much it has rattled me. He is destroying my town and that is _not_ going to continue happening, I can be sure of that. He will not get control of _my_ town, not a chance!

I return to the others from the window, where I went to try and establish the damage, and my eyes lock with Sam's. I cannot put into words the love I have for him; it's stronger than anything you could possibly imagine. Yet I have pretended that it doesn't exist for so many years now simply to protect us both, to hide the fact that hurting Sam would hurt me… I don't want him to be a pawn for anyone.

Yet my _Father_, if such a term of endearment can be used for such a horrific man, knows of the love I have for Sam. He could see it when we stood against him, united; he could see it when Sam stood up and publicly declared that he would stand with me. The fact he was the first to do so shows that he loves me, amongst other things from merely yesterday. It doesn't feel as if only _yesterday_ everything fell apart in our lives… no, before yesterday, we were simply preparing for this apocalypse.

I smile slightly at Sam, but he doesn't smile back, simply stares stonily at me, giving me the impression he is _jealous_. He is jealous of the fact that Eric has known me for so much longer than he has, is jealous that there is obviously some connection between us... or there was… but he will _never_ know of the idiotic relationship that was once present between myself and Eric. There ought to never have been anything there but we pushed and pushed and almost destroyed our friendship.

"Sam," I whisper his name so quietly that the two humans cannot hear, and I doubt that the other vampires are particularly paying attention. However, he steely ignores me, so I know I must speak with him – urgently. So I turn to the others and make an announcement of sorts, "Claire, could you please discuss with our _visitors_ how we can get Myrnin back with us, whilst I have a word with Sam?"

"B-but, ma'am, I don't _know_ where he is…" she begins to protest until I turn on her. My fangs slide down and my eyes turn a deep shade of crimson as I remind her that I am _extremely_ dangerous and that if she tries to argue with me, particularly now, she will not fare well.

"Little fool, do you _really_ think I am concerned with where you think Myrnin is?" I snap at her, unable to stop myself. I sense her fear and it only drives me on, the bracelet connecting us intensifying that fear she has of me – this acknowledgement that she is scared of _me_ is what stops me. I don't want people to be scared of me who are supposed to be on my side… be fearful of my Father, yet I do not want her to be scared of me. Not now, at least.

She shakes her head slowly and backs away, not realising that the vampires she is nearing are _much_ more dangerous than myself. "N-no, ma'am," she stutters, the fear spurring the others on in so much more a dangerous of ways.

"Touch one hair on her head and I can most _definitely_ assure you that it will be the last thing you do… and I do not care if Eric defends you," I hiss towards his compadres, watching them recoil in horror. "We shall only be a moment or two, so come up with something that we could _use_, Eric, rather than one of your self conceited plans that ends up only showing _you_ off, rather than achieving our end goal."

He narrows his eyes but does not have time to respond for I have already pulled Sam with me out of the living room and up the stairs, heading for the secret room which is soundproofed so that our guests cannot hear our exchange.

I shut the door and dart up the stairs, the memories of when we came up here in the past, when he was a human, fresh in mind… I do not know if he can recoil them with as much clarity as I can, the clearness of the memories breaking my heart once again.

Once in the room, I turn and face Sam, relaxing my guard as he stands and faces me. "Well?" I question him, my voice low and soft. "Tell me, Sam, what it is that is bothering you," I beg him, not wanting him to be hurting for it hurts me more than I could say.

"I don't like Eric," he says simply, not saying anything further. I snort slightly, unable to believe that this is the only reason that he is being so cold, acting as if he has never loved me. "What? Just because you're in love with him doesn't mean that I can't hate him," he shoots back, his words stunning me more than anything.

"In… in love…? With _Eric?"_ I confirm that this is what he means before laughing, the tones harsh and sharp. "I can assure you, Sam, that I… I don't love Eric... I… the only man I have _ever_ loved is standing before me," I whisper, my voice injected with all the love I have for him.

My hand reaches out to touch his face and for a horrifying moment, I think he is going to move out of my reach so that I cannot touch him. however, he stays still and allows my hand to move gently to caress his face, stopping on his cheek as I stare into his eyes. The height difference may seem almost comical in a sense, his head standing at least a foot above my own, yet it doesn't seem as if there is a difference between us at this current moment in time. I am simply lost in his eyes, as he is in mine, and I cannot move.

He takes the next step, bending over and pressing his lips to mine with a fiery passion, his hand lacing into my hair. I let him kiss me and kiss him back for the first time in fifty years, pressing myself into him until…

"Excuse me, but I thought that you were engaging in warfare, not deciding to get it on with your lover," Eric's amused voice startles me enough to jump across the room, fangs out as if someone is attacking. Embarrassment floods through me as I realise he caught us in this position, one that would be nothing to anyone else… but is the most affection I have shown _anyone _to another person… ever.

"Last time I check, Eric, you and Claire were ordered to be working on a plan," I say, standing up and walking back across the room with a mask on my face. I walk past Sam without a word, motioning for the pair of them to follow me down the stairs and back to the others in the living room who wait for us.

"Amelie, I'm sorry, we didn't know what to do," Claire says and I nod, thinking through what the plan can be.

"We go to Myrnin's laboratory and see if there are any signs," I say slowly… "Actually, no, we must go there to use the portal, for the one here isn't linked to the location where we desire to head to," I contradict my reason for heading to Myrnin's causing Eric to roll his eyes.

"Woman, I don't care the reason _why_ we are going there; let us make our decision to where we are heading and _go_ there," Eric says, causing Sam's teeth to audibly snap together. I sigh and step forwards, shooting a glare at Eric.

"If you wish for there to be a greater chance of my Father capturing us, then we can of course go ahead and rush into decisions," I snap at him, trying to calm down for the sake of the two humans in the room. "If that is the case, feel free to run through the streets and advertise that you are working with me… I am sure that you shall survive the _entire_ night with my Father out there," I continue, causing his eyes to narrow as he tries to read my face. The girl he brought coughs pointedly as I continue to stare at Eric, wondering if he has an ulterior motive for being here.

"Claire, take Sookie and find yourselves some weapons… knowing Mr Collins, I am confident that he has not managed to take them all with him on whatever mission Oliver sent him on," I order her coolly, turning my gaze onto her as she nods.

"Yes… I know where there are some," she confirms, running with the blonde girl behind her up the stairs to one of the bedrooms – I believe it is the boudoir of Ms Rosser.

"You two," I turn my attention on the vampires Eric has brought with him. "How strong are you?" I ask them both, and they exchange looks of almost disbelief.

"Strong enough to kill that thing with you without a question," they say and, to prove their point, begin to zoom across the room towards my Sam…

"NO!" I yell at them, jumping in front of Sam and leaning out to push them away, causing them to crash heavily into the walls. "If you hurt _anyone_ on my side – Eric, I have to say that that includes Oliver – I will _personally_ decapitate you!" I hiss at them, my intense… anger doesn't even cover it, on show. I am _furious_, so angry that if they dared to go within another metre of me or Sam, I would kill them now, lo and behold the consequences.

They exchange glances, realising how strong my feelings are for Sam, and nod slowly, backing away. "Sorry," the woman says in a bored tone, not sounding as if she particularly means it.

"Being strong enough to… kill Sam, isn't that much of a good thing," I sigh, able to continue the conversation now. "There is only one younger vampire and he-" Sam cuts me off furiously.

"Michael shall _not_ be involved in this anymore than he already is," he hisses, his eyes flashing crimson dangerously.

"What I was _about_ to say was that Michael has been sent to the university, to cover things there, so there will be no need to involve him in any fighting for even my _Father_ knows that attacking the campus is wrong," I continue, my voice steely. "And any vampire under the age of two hundred is confirmed on my side, I checked for myself… no, we are facing some ancient vampires and I don't want you two getting involved if you are not strong enough to finish the kill," I continue, getting back to the point.

"I can assure you that they are strong enough to kill some of your vampires… if you can call them that," Eric, once again, is slanderous towards my vampire race, insinuating that his is better… though I could destroy him now and we are almost the same age.

"If you care to repeat that, remember how many of _your_ so called _stronger_ vampires were murdered by Bishop in the past, so do _not_ insinuate that you are better," I say through gritted teeth, just as the girls return, armed with three bags of weapons… of course the Glass House would have so many weapons. I turn my attention to them and give a small smile that is only reciprocated by Claire. The other one seems to be calculating something, an expression which does not bode well for me, in my past experience.

"Let's go," Sam says in a determined voice, his hand slipping into mine. I allow it to stay there for a moment before removing it, entirely businesslike at the moment.

"Let us fight," I say in detached tones, heading for the portal… heading for the lab.

* * *

_Thoughts?_

_Review and I will update more often XD_

_Vicky xx_


	6. Let me lead No, you're not!

_Chapter 6_

_Thanks for the dos reviews!_

_I don't own either series… but __**I want Sam Glass and Myrnin!**_

_I planned to write this before I went on holiday… and wrote five words!_

* * *

_Eric's POV:_

Oh, how I enjoy irritating Amelie.

This sounds so pedantic, so petty, yet it is the truth; it has been the highlight of the visit so far to be able to get under her skin by insinuating that her vampires are weaker (with the exception of her and Myrnin… and Bishop, they are) and yet she cannot do anything against it. Well, she _could_, but then she would run the risk of losing me and my other vampires I brought with me. If necessary, I believe I can bring in more forces to help defeat Bishop, for this is one vampire we do _not_ want in the world.

We follow Amelie through the portal, my senses alert incase there are any enemies in the laboratory. Behind me, I can hear the others doing the same, as if their senses could possibly pick up anything myself or Amelie could not find. And behind them further, I can hear Sookie and the girl Amelie called Claire walking down the stairs, probably laden with a variety of weapons from one of the occupants of this house's room. I can only hope they are deadly to the other vampires and not just a deviant to make us _think_ we have destroyed enemies just for them to come back and bite us…

There is, unsurprisingly, nothing here. I didn't expect there to be anything other than dying scents of other vampires – some of which I recognise from the past fight – and I have not been disappointed.

"Are you _kidding _me?" I snap at Amelie, once again unable to believe her idiocy. I don't actually know how she has survived so many years, so many assassination attempts, since she is possibly the most lacsidacial person I have ever met.

"What _now_?" she snaps back in response, her eyes roaming the lab for possible signs. Well, I can't imagine that the place was exactly in much of an order beforehand – my memory tells me that Myrnin has _never_ been organised – yet the amount of destruction around suggests to me that Bishop's followers have had their fun in here, burning books.

"The scents – they're people I recognise from _his_ side before!" I barely manage to restrain myself from screaming at her, barely stop myself from shaking her like I would a child.

"And your point here is?" she raises an eyebrow quizzically, questioning what I want.

"If they were against you, why did you not _kill_ them?" I talk to her as if she is a moron, something I know she won't appreciate.

"Don't speak to her like that," of course, her little redheaded lover has to step into the equation, even though he wasn't even _around_ the last time! He has no clue who I am, yet he decided to see me as an enemy, a contester for Amelie!

"I'll speak to her exactly how I want, you fool," I snarl, taking a step towards him in order to intimidate him. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't flinch, doesn't recoil whatsoever - he just stands there, fangs bared, staring at me.

Just as shockingly, Amelie doesn't try and get us to focus and it takes Sookie and the other one coming in between us to stop it.

"Sam, it's not worth it," Claire(?) forces him to take a step back, leading me to believe that she has some personal connection to him, perhaps through the blonde version I saw in photographs in the house – what was I _supposed_ to look at, the walls?

"Eric, get into a fight with him and I _swear_ I shall stake you with this," Sookie holds up a silver tipped stake to prove her point, almost making me want to scoff (she would never do it) but I simply nod as if I am in complete and total agreeance.

"I did not kill those vampires who stood with my Father, Eric, for if I had, the numbers would have depleted more than would be sustainable," Amelie's ice cool voice _finally_ answers my question. "Then, with this disease, we would be almost extinct."

"You mean to say that you _pre-empted_ this entire disease, so decided not to kill vampires which you are going to end up killing _now_, simply because you wanted a lot of vampires to control?" I state in disbelief, unable to actually comprehend that her twisted logic could bring her to this conclusion. It's _absurd_!

"Yes, you have it correct," she says, not abashed whatsoever. "I do _now_ agree that the logic is _slightly_ flawed, yet I was not to know that my Father was not deceased, so it was an acceptable action at the time."

"_Slightly_ flawed?" I repeat, shaking my head in disbelief as I scan the lab as she is, looking for possible disturbances of dirt that could signify the moron has been taken further underground. "Amelie, your logic _always_ seems to be more than slightly flawed… let me take charge of this mission, and then perhaps we can all get out of it in one piece."

She shakes her head wildly, stalking forwards towards the door. "No, I refuse; this is _my_ fight and you are _not_ taking it from me! Do you understand?" I shake my head, knowing she has made the wrong choice here. "Very well, we shall continue. I require… no, no, that won't do. Gérard?" she calls on one of the bodyguards she insists on, who haven't even been present for the majority of my visit so far.

"Yes, ma'am?" he requests, stepping forwards towards where I presume she stands with another portal.

"I require you to open this door – my Father has locked it, and I presume you know what this means," she tells him, speaking in a code that I do not understand but I deduce that he does.

He nods slowly and steps forwards to grasp the handle in his hand, the door vibrating and seeming to set on fire as he touches it. I can see smoke from his hand – is he actually _burning_ to open the door for Amelie?

She levels me off with an almost triumphant smirk on her lips, as if daring me to comment. "And, if you were in charge, would _you_ have known that the door was, to coin a modern phrase, 'booby trapped'?" she says, glee ringing through every note of her voice, even though her bodyguard has _just lost a hand for her_! I would never expect another to do that for me, ever! Well… perhaps for the day guy of mine, Bobby, but that is all. "No, I did not think so."

The others behind me seem to be stunned into silence, even the one who knows her probably stunned to see her so ruthless. I see she has played this ice cold demeanour since starting this town, so none of them – not even Sam – have seen her ruthlessness, the way that she will destroy anyone and anything if it means she can live a little longer.

She is not a fighter – normally, she is a fleer.

"No," I agree, for I wouldn't have known the door was like that. "Yet I would not expect another to suffer the fate for me; I would have gone another way, or suffered the wrath of the punishment myself. And there, that is the difference between us, Amelie."

I _know_ I'm not this perfect model of a vampire that I appear to be trying to make myself appear in comparison to her, yet it is only in this situation. Normally, particularly when it comes to bloodlust, she outshines me in so many areas. Yet, and I never thought I would say this, in the area of humanity and compassion, currently I appear to be outshining her.

And I honestly think Sam would agree with me.

Her eyes narrow, yet she is unable to coin a comeback within an appropriate time. so she simply turns her attention to the bodyguard who is now sans a hand for her and gives him a few words that seem to perk him up. The soft bugger; I wouldn't continue with her for the world, yet if he has been tricked into believing she is 'so perfect', why wouldn't he?

Finally, she turns to my Sookie and Claire – yes, I am sure that is her name, which I will confirm later, if we all survive – and smiles very slightly. It's the smile that you never want to see, one that would have you running if you weren't already in so deep.

"You are about to encounter some of the worst things you _will_ ever see," she begins gravely, putting a hand up to stop Sookie proclaiming of all the horrendous things she _has_ seen! I don't know about Claire, but she is young and cannot have seen the horrors Sookie has in the years since vampires were revealed to the world. "I do not care for other experiences; we are going to be fighting, and we shall fight hard. I do not know if we will all make it through even _this_ stage alive.

"If I do not make it through, Eric is in charge. He will know how to destroy my Father… and, in that case, Sam and Claire, you must find the cure for the disease… as for Morganville, it would be nice if the pair of you could find a way to run it, yet the disease is the priority," she could probably carry on with the 'I may die' thing forever, but I step in.

"There is no point _talking_ about possibly dying without actually doing something life threatening!" I roll my eyes as she finally steps towards the door. "Let's go. I want to fight."

And so we go.

* * *

_Thoughts?_

_Vitz, you better like this :D _

_Hehe_

_And the rest of y'all, review please!_

_Vicky xx_


	7. Darkness

_Chapter 7:_

_Pour mon ami, Vitzy. :D_

_I don't own anything_

* * *

_Sookie's POV:_

This town is mighty strange. It's actually stranger than the entire existence of vampires being known worldwide (_my_ type…since there now seems to be two!) because they seem to be confined to this one town, which is more than slightly different to me! I'm used to the entire existence of vampires being known, yet from the look on the face of the girl – Claire? – she didn't think there was a single vampire outside of Morganville.

I walk with the little girl who looks like she's seen more than she appears to have been able to at her age – she can't be more than sixteen – and follow Eric and Amelie through the portal. The nice redhead, Sam, who reminds me of _my_ Sam, follows us to make sure that nothing tries to attack us on the way, something I get the vibe that the girl likes.

I can't _really_ read her; she's like a Shifter but not because there's no scent of Shifter on her. She's like the vampires here – I can't read them entirely, but I can just about get a gist of what they're feeling. The only conclusion I can draw is that she's linked to one of them somehow.

As we walk, my gaze drops to her wrist, encased in a silver bracelet with a symbol on it. I recognise it – it's an A in a circle with a line coming off it, like the one surreptitiously placed on the sign into Morganville. I'll bet you anything that it's Amelie's.

"Yeah, here we have this Protection scheme which is where you sign to a vampire and they protect you from all the other big baddies," she explains without me even having to ask – evidently she can pick up what other people want to know from just a glance…intuition, I think that's called. But that does explain why I can't really hear her – she's linked to Amelie and since Amelie's the eldest, her Protection pull is stronger – I can hear Sam more than Amelie.

"Ahh, that makes sense since I can't really hear your thoughts," I say in a conversational tone, having forgotten that I haven't told the others about my abilities as a telepath.

The entire crowd stops: Amelie at the front, as soon as she hears this, stops; her guards stop as she stops; Claire and Sam stop, both of their faces turned towards me to reveal their shock. The only one who remains entirely relaxed is Eric, though I can hear a small sigh issuing from him because he evidently didn't want this information revealed until the most opportune time.

Suddenly, Amelie is in front of me and her hand around my throat, her eyes blazing…is that _silver_? She doesn't look happy, that's for sure, as a growl issues from deep within her throat, entirely feral and giving the complete opposite idea to what her innocent appearance gives you – it's scary to know that she could kill me within less than a second and probably would do, if she didn't have questions for me…and also Eric wouldn't be exactly pleased, would he?

"Get your hands _off_ my Sookie," Eric growls, abruptly standing behind Amelie with his hand on her shoulder.

"Were you _ever_ going to tell me that she has _telepathic abilities_?" she hisses, turning her head towards Eric to direct the question towards him.

"If it came up or was relevant to what we were doing, then yes of course," he replies, his tone levelling off as he begins to realise – I can tell from her thought outlines – that she could kill me and he has absolutely no chance of killing her, especially with the fury running through her as so. "However it hasn't, so therefore I felt it-"

"Of _course_ you felt it unnecessary to bring it up when it _has_ been relevant, Eric, because that's how you operate," she snarls at him, her hand suddenly removed from my throat as she turns back to my boyfriend. "If it benefits you, you shall keep it a secret. Well, that is no longer the case – you, girl, come with me – I need you to be at the front with me and sense whether there are enemies around. Can you do that or is that too much work for someone who evidently doesn't have enough of a brain to keep something quiet if she was supposed to?" she turns back to me suddenly, the anger I feel inside of her boiling on the surface. You can see it in her face, see it in the way she holds herself and wriggles out of Eric's hand.

"Amelie, calm down," Sam walks around me, abandoning his position at the back – in all honesty, I doubt that any enemies have _not_ heard us after Amelie's antics – to walk around and take hold of both of Amelie's shoulders. "This is not helpful. They are not the enemy, Bishop is." Whilst he says this, he shoots the dirtiest look at Eric and I get the feeling that he's jealous of Eric for the past he's had with Amelie…though I can assure you that there's nothing going to be between them. And I can read Amelie's thoughts and every iota of her is in love with the redhead, _not_ Eric.

"Don't tell me what to do," she hisses, calming down slightly but nowhere near enough that she'll even allow _Sam_ to tell her what to do. "Now, we're moving once again. I trust that even _you_ can keep a hold of Claire and not let her wander off, as she is partial to," she continues, grabbing my arm in a slightly too tight grip and marching me to the front. Eric follows, muttering something that the vampires will be able to hear but just not me and Claire – that's just so not fair!

Winded by the time I reach the front of the party – it's bigger than I thought – she stops me and turns to face me once again. "I care not for your loyalties, girl; do you think Claire has a particular desire to be here?" she talks as if I have asked her if I have to be here, which I presume is simply her pre-empting what I may have said. "You work for me when in my town, since Eric agreed to assist me, and you _will_ look out for a man with disorientated – disorientated is actually an understatement – thoughts, ones tinged with sadness and delirium. He is science obsessed and the focus of this mission. I can hear if there are enemies loitering around…just focus on finding him. Do you understand?" she explains what she wants me to do in a pretty simple dialect, her stressing nearly every word since she evidently feels it is important.

"Yes, she is not an idiot like the girl at the back," Eric stands up for me, standing beside me and taking my hand easily.

"I'm about as much as an idiot as Bishop is good, so get your facts right," Claire shoots back from the back of the group, having evidently gotten Sam to tell her what Amelie said.

Eric simply rolls his eyes and motions for Amelie to walk forwards, acting as if he is in charge, which is simply his nature. He isn't in charge – anyone can see that Amelie is and she will never relinquish this power – but he wants to rile her, for the 'good old days'. This town mighty confuses me, with what's going on and why everyone is fighting – I haven't even found out _who_ we're fighting, besides that he is Amelie's Father and that he is supposed to be dead.

"And now we're off to save the crazy alchemist," Eric mutters, almost distracting me from sending my 'extra ears' outwards to try and find this man. "This trip just gets better and better."

* * *

_Amelie's POV:_

Infuriated doesn't even begin to cover how angry I am that Eric has had this treasure within his possession for so long and has not allowed me to utilise it; would I _really_ have remained in the Glass House for so long if I had known of this ability to use Sookie to find Myrnin without us heading into pointless rooms? No, I would not and he knows that – he simply desires to play a power game and I am _not_ in the mood. Staking does that to people as well as the declaration of full war with someone who is supposed to be dead.

I stalk forwards, Gérard walking by my side as the girl walks with Eric just behind me. Sam is humming under his breath, a song that I remember well from our time together in his human years, his youth so to speak, and it helps to calm me down – probably his ulterior motive, but that's why I love him so.

There's a crossroads and I take the left path, hearing more activity down to the right; my Father is crafty in his desire for a battle and he fights when it is convenient for _him_ – us choosing when we turn up, if at all, to save Myrnin is not his most convenient of timings.

We continue forwards for many a minute, the only noises being the heartbeats and breaths of the girls, as well as their footsteps, until Sookie finally reaches out to pull on my sleeve. Turning towards her, I near halt and raise an eyebrow in questioning.

"Well?" I request when it becomes evident she is waiting for verbal permission to speak – oh how I wish the residents of this town, Claire included, had learnt such manners.

"He is through there," she points to the door on the wall with a symbol of one of the near instant defectors. "Turn right and right again and you shall find him, in a room which is entirely empty otherwise. Oh and be quick – his thoughts seem to be getting more and more disorientated," she warns me, her face contorting in confusion as she evidently tries to decipher something that he is thinking.

"I shall go," I say, knowing that Gérard and Frank shall come with me automatically.

"And me," of course Sam volunteers but I shake my head instantly.

"No, if you don't stay, Claire shall be disappearing as soon as someone no longer is standing beside her," I frown at the girl's desire to solve everything by herself, trying to undermine an enemy about whom she knows nothing about.

"Why do you keep saying that?" she mutters but I ignore her, having already had enough arguments with Sookie and Eric today to last me a lifetime more.

"I shall take Sookie, as well as Paul," I say, deciding to leave Eric here to prove a point. "No, Eric, you are not to come. Remain here with Sam, Claire and John and know that if you break my orders, you shall be leaving without experiencing the fight. And now, wouldn't _that_ be a shame?"

I smile sweetly as I begin to turn the door handle in the secret way that only I and the owner know, wrenching it open within less than a second to reveal a darkened corridor.

"Come on," I smile once again, indicating for Sookie to go first. "You're the human compass – direct us."

As I walk through into the darkness, the last thing I see is Eric's furious face. and _that_ is the idea of revenge!

* * *

_Thoughts?_

_Review please!_

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_Vicky xx_


	8. Fracturing Of The Team

_Chapter 8:_

_I don't own either Southern Vampire Mysteries or Morganville Vampires_

* * *

_Eric's POV:_

Amelie has had some stupid plans in her existence, yet I believe that this one takes the biscuit. Not only has she left me here with her imbeciles, yet she has taken _my_ Sookie with her to fact Bishop, merely to rescue the most ridiculous alchemist I have ever met in my existence. There are some levels to which I never thought even she would stoop to, yet evidently her moral compass is as kaput as my own…if not even more, for she has acted callously with an ulterior motive.

All she wants to do is keep me in a rather more submissive mode whilst she exerts her authority – something I, whilst admittedly begrudgingly, accept whilst in her town. After all, I _did_ agree to fight with her, under her rule, for she knows the town much better than myself, as well as having a deeper insight into Bishop (allegedly) that only his daughter could have.

Then again, she assumed him dead for centuries and look where that's gotten us now.

"Stand still, you're bugging me." Naturally, it's the redhead that Amelie's found herself _so_ in love with who speaks, his tone tense as he evidently strains his ears to hear what is almost background noise for me: Amelie and Sookie leading the others into what could be some of the greatest danger of all. And this danger is not from Bishop: if this is true about the disease, then Myrnin is as much of a danger as the enemy…if not more so, for Amelie shan't, if she is in the same mood as she currently is, expect him to attack.

"That is one of the problems of being so young as one of _your_ vampires," I say sharply, "you must concentrate for such a long period of time to be able to hear things my Pam could hear within her first day as a vampire."

I have the pleasure of seeing the temper of dear Sam riled to the point where he reminds me of the Were Sam, the similarities not particularly comforting to me because I don't like that Sam either. Yet, perhaps, this one may have slightly more redeemable qualities in that he is a vampire…and, whilst it irritates me, the devotion he has to Amelie reminds me of myself and Sookie.

"Or I could be telling you to stop moving because movements remind me that you're still here," he responds scathingly, admittedly a rather decent retaliation…for such a young vampire, naturally.

The girl stirs slightly here, her attention no longer focused upon the dark passageway ahead to which she has no chance of seeing further than perhaps a few metres, her face turning towards the area between myself and evidently her 'friend'.

"If you _both_ don't be quiet," she's rather bold with her words, having decided that she may as well chance it with Sam being here to protect her, "then I will walk away and let Amelie skin _you_ alive, Eric, and I don't know what your punishment would be, Sam, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be pretty."

I laugh ever so slightly, it being harsh and threatening even to my own ears – a vampire's true laugh. "Are you threatening me, girl?" I take a step closer to her, hearing the increase in her heart rate, the blood pumping round her body one hundred times faster than usual, it seems like.

She gulps, the colour of her skin paling to be almost vampiric, but nods, her gaze steely and determined as she looks at me. "Yes."

With her sheer disregard for the authority I have over her, I am almost pushed to the limit. I move swiftly towards her, almost touching her when dear Sam steps out in front of her, stopping me in my tracks. "No," is all he says, naturally, because these people seem capable of mere one word answers. "She is _not_ to be harmed. She is Amelie's, remember?"

"She threatened me," is all I respond with.

"And she threatened me, yet do you see _me_ overreacting?" he shoots back, his tone hard with anger. "Claire is right: if we're not working together here, what chance do we have of ever getting in on the fight? I refuse to be regulated to the sidelines for the entirety of this battle, that can be assured to you that I am."

"Same-" Claire begins to respond, yet both Sam and myself cut her off.

"No," we say at the same time, my own response startling Sam and even myself, to a point. There is a definite part of me that knows this girl cannot be allowed to join in the fight – truly, like Sookie – if only for the fact that she is most likely as big a menace as my girl and we cannot have two of them involved.

The girl's – Claire's – eyebrows raise slightly as she observes the two of us, her face betraying shock and anger. "And why is _that_?"

"You're human," Sam says simply. "You're young and fragile and those are two things Bishop doesn't care about if he's fighting. I can assure you that you'd be the one who looses if you came face to face with one of his brutal vampires."

She doesn't respond, simply turns to me to hear why I think she shouldn't be involved.

"I personally think amateurs – therefore both of you – should not be involved in the fight," I shrug, ignoring the look on both of their faces. "Neither of you have been in the first fight so you do not know about how Bishop fights. After all, Sam, before this turn of events, did you even know about Bishop?"

He hesitates, yet slowly nods his head, something I wasn't expecting – yet his expression turns almost defiant. "She did. I know more about her life than you think, Eric, and no matter _what_ you say, I am in this fight. This is more than just you and Amelie, something you evidently cannot accept."

I admit, the young vampire has guts, the ability to vent his feelings in a rather comprehensible manner – I suppose he has studied English. He evidently has the passion for why he thinks he ought to be part of this battle, though his arguments decimated his own reasons for why Claire couldn't fight, which I suppose will please her.

"Fine," I agree begrudgingly, looking at the fourth person within our group, John, who hasn't spoken yet to see if he has any objection. Not that I suppose he could – only if Amelie told him to ensure that these two remained out of it would he be able to react. No, he is entirely Amelie's – a power I almost envy…her ability to control those who follow her is second to none.

Well, perhaps Bishop's, yet I haven't came across that for many a year now – that isn't the issue, however.

"So we just have to _stand_ here?" Claire confirms, her tone bored as she leans against one of the walls. However, my attention is turned away from her, as is Sam's now our discussion is over, both of us focused upon the distant location where the rest of our party is.

They are advancing slowly and I can hear the murmured discussion between Amelie and Sookie, the former being slightly behind her own guards as they approach where I can hear Myrnin is being locked up. If we are careful, I see no reason for us to be caught by Amelie if we approach behind her – we can be present on the very likely chance that there is an attack to assist, yet can fade back to this point if they are successful in breaking Myrnin out without an attack. I sincerely doubt that Bishop has left someone so very important to our side open for us to take without any chance of him gaining – what would the point be in that? Bishop can only assume that Amelie values Myrnin's life – and also what knowledge he possesses – and he has assumed correctly, given how hastily Amelie is going to rescue Myrnin.

"For heaven's sake, do you _really_ believe that Amelie expects us to keep our word that we would remain here?" I snap at them, wondering if their naivety is catching because it seems almost all Morganvillians are naïve to the point of no return.

"Uh…_yeah_," Claire replies in the rude tone that all of her generation seem to have. It annoys me to no end, as I presume it does Amelie, and I truly am not surprised that it hasn't bypassed this out of the way town in the middle of nowhere. "Generally when Amelie tells you to do something, you do it."

Sam slowly nods his head, yet I get the feeling there is a degree of dissent from him, as if he doesn't entirely believe that we should follow Amelie's words. "Claire's right," he finally agrees with Claire. "Though the only person affected by her words is _you_, Eric, as she never mentioned anything about _us_ being banned from fighting, only you…so, in actual fact, I think we should go."

Naturally, the redhead is a turncoat, changing his mind within the same sentence, as all apparently 'great' people tend to do – no doubt it is a habit picked up from Amelie, for she has always been fickle with her opinion. "I most certainly have no qualms with facing the wrath of Amelie, _children_, therefore let us set on our way to follow them – carefully, of course," I say with an approximation of a grin more intended to be predatory. "This is if you two desire to come with me…or follow Amelie's words and be cowards; it is entirely up to you," I finish to try and make them rise to the challenge, something I can see Sam is already chomping at the bit to achieve.

And the girl, of course. I wouldn't want to be _sexist_, would I – but she is most certainly keen enough, in a terrified sort of manner…if it weren't for Sookie being around, this girl would be so delectable – and, of course, if she weren't tainted by Amelie's control.

"Let's go." Sam stalks past me at his fastest speed – which is nothing compared to mine – and is pulling the girl along with him, which I cannot presume that she is enjoying from the look on her face. Yet I follow behind, John hesitant behind myself, and we head slowly up towards where Amelie and Sookie (along with the others, inclusive of _my_ vampires) are slowing further..they must be almost there.

This shall be intriguing.

* * *

_Sookie's POV:_

We walk slowly along the corridor as I listen to the disorientated mind that is too easily read to be a vampire, which worries me, Amelie not rushing me though I can tell she would really desire me to move faster. Well, that ain't happening, not if I'm in the front and I'm human – I'm making sure that this place is as safe as it possibly could be before I move forwards.

"Is this person _really_ important?" I ask slowly as I register how his mind seems to be worsening. There's no clarity to his thoughts whatsoever, no thought processes he's going through; there's merely memories and pain all intermingled to create utter chaos, flickers of one thought before moving into another, more disturbing recollection.

The white blonde woman stops still suddenly, as if I've asked the most ridiculous question, which I suppose I have, to her. He's evidently important enough if she's spared a good thirty – inclusive of some of the strongest fighters, simply because Eric is here – of the people defending this town to rescue him. I can't tell _what_ he could be so important for, due to the salad state mind of his brain, but the look she's throwing me now is a mixture of disbelief and pure shock at my apparent stupidity.

"You know nothing, child," her words irritate me, for Claire is a child, _not_ me. "You are aware merely of what you have been told, of which is merely a light scraping of the surface. You are barely aware of who we are fighting's _name_: at least Claire and the others know what he looks like. We must rescue Myrnin for I am not ready to be rid of such an important piece within this plan I have had formulated for many a day now." Something about her tone gives me the impression that she shan't be looking to renege upon her decision to find the man already almost lost to me.

"He's fading quickly," I inform her as we begin to walk again, albeit much slower. "I can't tell-"

"I don't _care_!" she snaps, slightly too loudly, I fear. "This man is more important than perhaps us all put together, besides Claire. Without this man, we are _nothing_. There is no need for us to fight without Myrnin, merely because we would be fighting the side that will win out in the long run.

"We need Myrnin to complete work he has been working upon for a long time, a time spanning more than double your lifespan. He is priceless, Sookie; I cannot stress enough how we _must_ rescue him from my Father's clutches, must ensure that he is safe to continue the practise he has been charged to do for decades and is so close to completing."

There's a sense of urgency in her voice, yet I stop listening as we approach the turn towards his prison, trying to sense which the best way to go is. There are minds all around that signal to me that we are not alone, but the slight movement of Amelie's eyes, along with all the others with us, give me the impression that she is aware of their positions one thousand times clearer than I am.

"Mmmm," I mutter as if I'm merely replying to what she said, feeling a sense of fear creep over me as I approach the darker tunnel first. I can only hope that Amelie and the others have heard the increase in my heartbeat, something I am assured of as Pam steps up towards me and pulls me back slightly, baring her fangs at Amelie to ensure that she doesn't disagree. After all, there'd be no point in infighting, would there?

Amelie seems amiable to this, motioning for two of her guards to step forwards, as I hear the thoughts of people who are meant to be back at the base area of the tunnel system creeping closer to us. The others – especially Pam, for he is her sire – ought to be able to hear the advancement of Eric, Sam, Claire and John, yet I doubt they care about those approaching from behind – they are meant to be ensuring that we keep that region of the tunnel system.

"Careful." This is the only word Amelie utters as her eyes focus upon a point in the distance, something that has her irises glittering in an oh, so dangerous way, something that has me leaning as far away as possible.

The approach of the others behind us is speeding up, to the point where I almost expect this trance like state Amelie and the others have slipped into to fade as she berates them for being here; however, the enemy's minds are so close to us now and I presume that this is what they are all looking at…the bodies of those whose thoughts I can hear.

Then there is Myrnin's, merely down the corridor, and I know it must be time for us to be going to rescue him…but who will go and who will fight these enemy vampires?

Almost as if she has read _my_ mind, Amelie turns to me. "Why did I leave Claire…?" she mutters, realising that perhaps this girl is the only person capable of calming Myrnin down – for he seems more than high at this moment, his thoughts entirely insane – and she has left her behind. "_You_, girl, must go," she informs me slowly, her eyes betraying fear and a lack of belief in me.

A voice behind us all has Amelie turn away from the enemy who are merely metres in front of us, every other vampire remaining in rank to stare them down – inclusive of Pam and Bill.

"Not over my dead body."

* * *

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_Vicky xx_


	9. Disappearing

Chapter 9:

I don't own anything

* * *

Amelie's POV:

I really ought to stop issuing orders. Perhaps it would be better if I just walked away and didn't bother to fight, just handed over the book and the town and headed off into the night to set up a new life somewhere else. That would probably give me a better control over my sanity, and allow me to live my final days in a more peaceful environment, because do these people ever listen?

Evidently, ordering Eric, Sam, Claire and John to remain behind – for they are the most valuable people – has been futile, because they have no followed us and Eric is making to disregard my decision to send Sookie in. For fear he may strike at one of his kind, I cannot send a vampire in, so Sookie is the only one able to save him, as well as the fact that my father's vampires are staking the place out, and will begin to fight with us when they want to, not us.

"Are you mad?" I hiss at the four of them, turning away from the door to Myrnin's prison to shoot them an angry glare. "I give you orders and then you distinctly ignore them, just to come and irritate me, and to make threats that, to be frank, I would rather have!"

Eric steps forwards, blazing anger evident on his face, and I get the feeling that he's particularly irritated by my trying to use Sookie. He allowed me to take her. If the situations were reversed, I know quite well that he would have used Claire against the enemy, and I would have not reacted in the same way. Not even sweetly insane Myrnin, who harbours feelings for her I believe, would have done, because her being the instigator of the fight back would have meant that we had a chance of survival.

"You do not try and put Sookie in a situation which could kill her," he growls, and I turn to see the girl in question looking more scared than she did before. Evidently with humans, fear wins out over any other emotion. "If you so desperately require a human, how about you put forwards your own girl?" he continues, grabbing Claire from Sam's side and throwing her forwards through the throngs of my vampires.

To her credit, she doesn't gasp or cry out, or even fall; she merely steadies herself and looks me right in the eyes, her own seeming determined and confident. "Sure. I'll go. It's not like Myrnin and I are strangers, is it; I'm sure he'll respond to me."

"NO!" Sam calls out, and I understand his concern; he promised to take care of Michael and all his friends, and allowing Claire to go and save Myrnin could endanger her life, to the point that she may not make it out alive. It may even be Myrnin who kills her, something which would be a little ironic, given how hard he has worked to ensure that this doesn't happen.

"I agree," I correspond with what Sam has said, raising a hand to prevent one of my vampires handing Claire a weapon to give her a chance to fight back. "We have reached an impasse, I believe, Eric, for I believe you have forgotten the value Claire holds in fighting back on the backlines, to cure the disease we face."

"And you have forgotten that Sookie is more important to me than you, or any of your kind ever could be," he replies instantly. I get the feeling that the girls involved are uneasy about being referred to in such a manner, yet I must give credit to Claire in the way that she would so keenly rescue Myrnin. Whether this is for her personal reasons or merely for the cause, I do not know, yet she was willing, and this shall certainly stand her higher in my stead than before – though, she has always been important to me.

I smile ever so slightly, yet I know that it doesn't make it to my eyes; it stops at my lips, merely a show of something that I don't really feel. "You didn't have to bring her," I remind him simply. "And when you came here, you signed yourself over to my army, and therefore you will fight as I command!"

His eyes narrow once again, and, as per usual, it feels as though everything besides Eric and myself fades away; arguing with him has always commanded all of my effort, due to his inane ability to lie to my face and try to get away with it, as well as weaving the lies in within the truth to leave me unable to trust a word of what he says. "I did nothing of the sort. You will adjust your plans to be suitable for myself as well as you, and that is what I want."

I sigh, unable to believe that he is actually being as immature as to demand I change everything just to suit him. The way he has phrased it…it sounds as though a human child, one raised in this age of answering back in an inappropriate manner, rather than a vampire closest to my age than any other vampire in the world.

"If you are quite done being childish, I would appreciate your returning to being an adult and the chance to discuss this sanely, otherwise I will merely request you leave town and do not return," I say, my voice hard as nails, eyes flashing in anger; not even Sam could hope to calm me now, until I have gotten Myrnin from his chains. "Whatever is the matter, Eric? You seem…disappointed that I could desire you away from the fight."

With the mutterings under his breath too low for the other vampires to hear, as well as the feeling that I get from him that he very much desires to kill me right now, I believe I may have annoyed this man just slightly. Yet I don't hesitate or apologise, merely stand my ground, waiting for the second most stubborn person in the world – after myself, naturally – to accept that here, in my town, when we are fighting my war, he must accept my judgement. And though she is valuable to him, Sookie's main use in my eyes is over; I will not need to locate my enemies, or even my allies, once again, because I will have launched an attack so vicious that my father will surrender before my troops even reach his fighting body.

Interrupting my "stare-down" with Eric is John, the vampire who couldn't control the three others to remain far away from this situation, with an edge to his voice that sounds almost like fear and apprehension mixed together. "Um…ma'am, both of the young girls have left to free Myrnin."

My surprise is as great as Eric's, whose primary expression changes to shock at approximately the same time as mine; never did I expect them to act without permission or consent from myself…though, I suppose, obeying orders has never been a strong feature of Claire's personality; the most recent disobeying occurred when I ordered her to stay away from the Welcome Feast, and she deliberately came with Myrnin…where she also let him out of his cage without my permission. There should be no surprise in me that she has ignored the fact that she was not supposed to get involved. Instead, I should focus on what we ought to do whilst she rescues Myrnin, alongside the Stackhouse girl.

Eric, however, seems less inclined to merely stay here; it takes my grasping his wrist to prevent him moving, something which irritates me because I don't particularly enjoy touching…the other kind of vampire, especially after feeling Sam's skin. Eric seems too silky, his skin without the texture almost akin to that of a human, merely marble skin over bone, and I would much rather avoid touching him.

"Remain here; she is safe enough from Myrnin with Claire," I remind him that Claire understands what Myrnin is like, that she won't fear to incapacitate him if she feels it is necessary.

There is no time to panic. As soon as I finish speaking, I can hear the movement of the enemy, that they are preparing to attack us, hopefully without us realising. It takes less than a second for me to cry out an ancient term, one we use for the battle, before we are all standing ready prepared to fight our enemy. I gravitate towards Sam, and his small smile gives me comfort before I throw the first enemy away from him, determined to ensure that he need not fight, because I can fight for him as well as myself.

At least it gives us something to pass the time, besides arguing with Eric.

* * *

_Sookie's POV_:

Claire has the right idea; she understands that we must move whilst they are arguing, together, as so one of us is not forced to remain behind. I can protect us from enemies whilst she recovers the man everyone desires with a greater ease than I ever could; she understands him, knows what he needs and how he has to be treated to not go crazy. All I know about is the world of the supernatural – something I can tell the vampires and humans here are unaware of; their knowledge of the supernatural extends to their vampires, and that is all.

"How long have you loved Eric?" she asks me as we walk, confusing me for a minute because I wonder why she wants to know this, until I remember that she's just a human like me. There can't be more than about ten or twelve years between us, yet she reminds me of everything fragile in this world…fragile, though with a core within her that gives me the idea she's tougher than she looks.

"I don't know." I give her the honest answer, because I can't define love myself; I mean love for Eric here, for that is the issue that is wanted to be resolved. "I suppose I started to love him when he lost his memories about being a big, proud vampire and was just Eric for a week. Then he went back to normal, I went back to disliking him, but then we sort of reached an impasse…and then, somehow, I found myself needing him, and then our relationship started from there." I shrug because it doesn't seem particularly important a subject given that we're trying to avoid evil vampires as well as our own so they can't drag us back before we rescue Myrnin.

"Oh…that's cool," she replies and then focuses on our path ahead, lighting the way with one of the torches she must have brought with her. "Are you ok? Can you hear anything?" she looks at me in alarm as I wince, placing my hand on my forehead because of the mass of thoughts issuing from behind us.

"They've attacked Eric and the others," I inform her, a panicked edge to my voice. Instantly, I begin to move faster, determined to reach this illusive vampire before the others perish, and Claire moves in line with my pace, twisting and turning through the tunnels which have no purpose other than to try and confuse; even following his mind, I find myself ordering Claire down the wrong row of doors, just to then backtrack and finally locate the right passage. With each turn, we move further and further away from the others, the sounds of bodies being ripped apart no longer audible, though I can still hear their terrible thoughts.

Finally, we reach the door.

Claire opens it without hesitation, and I try to stop her, to tell her that I should go first, but she's impulsive and strong, so fights her way past me and towards Myrnin. He's in the corner, cowering away, his arms wrapped in silver chains that hurt him – I can see it in his face that he's in agony, though it is incomparable to the pain of what the disease is doing to his mind. Words cannot describe what is happening; he is aging, becoming decrepit in his mind, organisation and sanity fading away until only the motor functions for a vampire remain – and soon, even these will fade. He must be cured.

He _must_.

Claire instantly unshackles him, and I can tell that this is a mistake. His thoughts are too frantic for blood, and she is much, _much_ too appealing; I could see it in the vampires' faces as they looked at her when _one drop_ of her blood was spilt…she is too perfect, too fresh, too…too wantable for a vampire.

I have to admit, though, it surprises me that she can tell this and drives a stake through his heart, muttering her apologies as he freezes. This could kill him; his mind is becoming more and more frantic, harder to listen to, but…

"Doesn't a stake _kill_ a vampire?" I ask in alarm.

She shakes her head, then shrugs slightly. "After a few hours, yeah. I get that he's ill, but he's old; he'll survive it as long as it takes for us to get back to the others."

Between the two of us, we manage to carry his feebly moving body in the direction of where the others were. There are no voices to guide me back, which confuses me, but I suppose that they will have left us a note, yes? Claire doesn't seem aware of any problems – of course not; she's frantic about having staked Myrnin and she can't hear people's thoughts…that's just crazy Sookie – and only when we reach the area where everyone _was_ merely fifteen or twenty minutes ago, we realise that there's a problem.

"Shit; where _are_ they?"

That is a very good question indeed.

* * *

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Vicky xx


	10. She Wanted Him Staked?

Chapter 10:

* * *

Sookie's POV:

"No, no, no, no, no, no, _no!_" Claire says, and her voice rises with each repetition. "They _can't_ have gone! They knew that we'd be coming back with Myrnin, and that there was pretty much a one hundred percent likelihood that he'd be staked."

This surprises me; Amelie would _expect_ Claire to stake him – would have expected me to, even though I had no weapon – and seeing him as he is wouldn't have been a shock. "You mean that she _wanted_ him staked?" I try and confirm, and she shrugs, dropping the vampire down to the floor because she looks exhausted.

Rolling her eyes, Claire looks at me, and I can tell for the first time that she has the attitude I supposed you _would_ need to have, living in this town. The outside world has humans and vampires living together, sort of – or at least in the open, with them being more even due to the fact that there are so many less vampires in the world than humans – whereas here, vampires are at the top of the food chain. "Of course she'd expect that," Claire says to me, the exasperation in her tone accountable to the lack of good guys here – otherwise, my southern manners would be getting the better of me. "He's dangerous, Sookie; you can tell, I know you can…he doesn't know what is him and what is the disease, and that's what makes him the most dangerous, scary, misunderstood and vulnerable vampire there is. He's been fighting this off for so long – he should have been dead by now three times over, according to Amelie and the lifespan of the other diseased vampires – and so…so he needs to be kept under control. Staking is the only way to do that – and he'll be fine. Honestly." She looks sure, really she does, but there's a catch in her voice that sounds as though maybe, just maybe, she doesn't believe that he'll fully recover.

It isn't my issue; it was my job to retrieve him, something I've now managed to do with Claire, and now we need to get him to Amelie, or one of her vampires, to remove the stake and give him blood, so he doesn't hurt us. Then, we can get on with the rest of the mission, to remove whoever this Bishop is, from his seat of power in Morganville.

"Ok, so where do you think we should go now?" I ask Claire, reaching over to grab one of Myrnin's arms. It's a strange name, much stranger than any vampire's name I've heard before – actually, perhaps maybe Eric's maker's name was a little weirder, to be fair – and I was sure it's a girl's name, but that's by-the-by. "Back the way we came into this place…or is that too risky?"

Claire shrugs, and I get the feeling that she doesn't know; I've tried to avoid reading her thoughts, to increase her privacy, but as I listen in, I realise that we're in the same predicament: neither of us know where we are, and there's an enemy around us. No vampires are here, or their human allies, but that doesn't mean that they _can't_ be here within a few minutes, or that they've not set booby traps for us…you never know with vampires, after all.

"Let's go back to where we originally were meant to wait and let's see if they've left any clues," Claire suggest finally, hoisting Myrnin up with me. I feel sorry for her. She's sixteen and she's doing so much…I couldn't imagine life like that at her age, I really couldn't. "After all, I _was_ meant to wait there – and whenever we do meet up, Amelie'll be pissed that I didn't follow orders." She smiles slightly as she walks, and I can't help but laugh at her weak attempt to alleviate the tension.

"Well, she didn't seem very happy when she was arguing with Eric about which one of us to send," I agree, barely paying attention to the conversation as I try and strain to hear _anything_ from the vampires. Even enemy vampires would be acceptable at this point, because there's a chance that they'd be near to Eric and Amelie, so we'd then be saved.

"Amelie's never happy," Claire surprises me by saying; is she not loyal to Amelie by giving her nought but respect? "I mean…she gets what she wants, but that isn't always what _she_ wants, if that makes sense."

The blank look on my face makes it obvious that her words don't make sense to me, so she tries again.

"Ok, so she does what's right for other people a lot – and the town," Claire repeats, yet with more clarity. "But that isn't what _she_, in her heart, wants; for instance, let's take Sam. She loves him – that much is obvious, right?"

"Definitely," I agree, because they're the only two I've seen so far in this town, who are apparently a couple, who look like they are.

"Well, she hasn't been with Sam for fifty years," Claire continues, surprising me again. "Her enemies knew that he was her weakness, and that to get to Amelie, they need only get to Sam. She didn't want to risk him getting hurt, so she pushed him away, saying she didn't want him, and told other vampires to ignore him on pain of death. And so that's what happened; at the Welcome Feast tonight, that was pretty much the first time they've been in the same room for more than a few minutes in all that time…besides when he got staked, and she saved him, proving her love for him, that is." Claire corrects herself at the end, but I don't reply, because we're back at the cavernous area we were in earlier, the one where Claire, Eric and Sam were told to wait behind.

Absolutely nothing here.

"We're screwed," I say, setting Myrnin down on the floor; his body seems a little paler, or that could just be me presuming the stake is affecting him. "There isn't anyone here! We'll get lost, or we'll be captured and everything will be for nothing."

Claire begins to speak in agreement with me, until she gasps in shock. "Sookie, _look_!" she exclaims, dragging me to face the same direction as her.

Hovering in the far corner is a hologram of a woman.

"Hello," the hologram _speaks_, gliding towards us. "You must be Sookie and Claire. My name is Ada.

"I'm the machine that keeps Morganville as it is."

* * *

AN2: please don't favourite/alert without reviewing.


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